Door-oferating device



March 11 1924. 1,4862% T. BRADY DOOR OPERATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1919 Svvvewtoz W 4% 61 6 60144013 Patent er. Iii, I324.

THOMAS BRADY, OF WOO DCLIFF, NEW JERSEY.

DOOR-OIERATING DEVICE.

Application filed November 3, 1918. Serial No. 335,542.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BRADY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Voodclifi', Bergen County,

and. State of Ncw'Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, form- 'ing a part thereof.

My invention relates to means for operating sliding doors and the objects of the invention are to provide apparatus for this purpose which will be practical and relatively simple, which will positively shift the door in both directions and which will furthermore securely lock the door in one position, for instance the closed position.

Another object is to'so construct the parts that they may be easily installed within the small space between the doors and the elevator car.

In the accomplishment of these objects I employ a swinging lever which is arranged for connection with the door sections and which is operated in reverse directions by means of pressure actuated power cylinders or plungers of small diameter controlled by suitable valve mechanism.

The details of the invention will be fully disclosed as the specification proceeds, attention being had to the accompanying drawing wherein I have illustrated the invention embodied in one of its practical forms. 7

In this drawing Figure 1 is a view of the apparatus as applied to the control of a two-section sliding elevator door, the parts being shown in ,full lines with the door closed and in dotted lines to indicate the door-open position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the power plungers or cyl- .inders.

In the illustration 5 designates a stationary door section and 6 and 7 the so-called slow and quick moving sections of thesliding door.

10 designates a swinging lever for actuating the door sections, said lever being shown in this illustration as fulcrumed at its lower end at 11 on a supporting bracket 12, secured, for instance. to the threshold of an elevator door opening. This lever is swung in opposite directions by the plungers indicated at 13 and 14, the detail construction of which is illustrated in Figure 2.

As shown in this latter view, each plunger comprises a long narrow cylinder 15 within which operatesa pair of pistons 16 and 17 spaced apart on the inner end of the piston rod 18. The actuating fluid, such as compressed air, is supplied to the cylinder through suitable tubing or conduit 19 and in the construction disclosed the pressure is admitted both beneath the lower or innermost piston and into the space between the two pistons. 20, 21 designate the passage beneath the lower piston. which passage'is closed against reverse flow by a check valve 22, indicated as of the ball type. A bypass 23 is shown provided about this check valve, which can be regulated by the adjusting valve 24. The passage into the space between the pistons is designated 25, 26.

In the construction herein disclosed, the cylinders are fulcrumed on the bracket 12 at 27 and the piston rods are the members which are connected with the swinging lever. The connection between the pistons and swinging lever is of novel construction in that it involves a special link or rocker 28 pivoted intermediate its ends at 29 on the lever and having its opposite ends pivotally connected at 30 with the ends of the two piston rods.

The operating plungers are adjustably supported in the present disclosure on arms 31 carrying the fulcrums 27 for the cylinders at one end and fulcrumed at their opposite ends at 32 on the supporting bracket, said arms being adjusted to vary the position of the cylinders by means of adjusting screws 33.

The swinging lever is connected with the door section 7 in the construction shown, by means of a keeper 35 pivoted on the door bracket 36 at 37 said keeper having a passage therethrough for the lever, as indicated.- At one edge of said guide passage there is provided a shoulder 38 which is indicated in the form of a pin and the lever is shown provided with notches 39 forming looking shoulders for engagement with said pin. The lever is capable of suflicient lateral shifting movement in the guide passage to free the shoulders 39 and 38 from interlocking engagement. The lever 10 is also connected with door section 6 by a link 40 pivoted to the lever at 41 and to the door section at 42.

In the operation of the device, when the actuating fluid is admitted to the door-opening plunger 13, both pistons are acted on by such pressure and a relatively quick and powerful impulse is thereby imparted to the piston rod. The first effect of this impulse is to rock the link 28 on the swinging lever, thereby increasing the leverage of the plunger and enabling it to exert its power more fully on the door-opening lever. The first part of the movement of the lever is utilized to take up the lost. motion connection between the lever and keeperand to free the locking shoulder on the lever from the cooperating shoulder on the keeper. The door is thereupon unlocked and free to be retracted. After the door is started on its way, less power is required than at the beginning, which fact is taken account of by the inner piston 17 traveling over the port 26 and cutting off the flow to the upper piston. During the balance of the outstroke, therefore, the pressure operates only on the inner piston 17. v

ear the end of the door movement the inactive plunger (14 in the illustration under consideration) operates to cushion the door movement and bring the door to rest without jar. This is due to the fact that the inner piston in its inward movement in the cylinder, after it cuts off" the port 26, traps the air or other motive fluid in the bottom of the cylinder, by reason of the check valve construction, and such trapped air is obliged to escape through the by-pass 23. The valve 24 of this by-pass is controlled to regulate the escape of fluid to the extent necessary to bring the parts to rest in the proper manner. In the closing of the door, the operation is reversed,,the plunger 14 being then the power device and the other plunger serving as the cushioning element.

The valve mechanism is not shown, but it will be understood that any suitable valves may be employed which will admit the motive fluid to one cylinder, while permitting it to escape from the other cylinder.

The lever may be actuated by hand, if desired, and to facilitate such action, a handle 10 is provided on lever 10 within easy reach of the operator. The construction of the mechanism is such that its width is kept small so that it may be installed easily in the narrow space between an elevator door and an elevator car. If heavy doors require more power, the number of actuating cylinders may be increased without increasing the width of the mechanism. Modifications of construction ma be made within the spirit and scope Ol this invention and I intend no limitations other than those imposed by the appended claims.

meagre What I claim is:

1. A door operating device, comprising a'swinging lever arranged for connection with a door at one end, pressure operated power cylinders connected with opposite sides of said lever for swinging the same in opposite directions and valve mechanism for automatically trapping the pressure in the cylinders at the end of the operation thereof.

2. A door operating device, comprising a swinging lever fulcrumed at one end to a base member and pivotally and slidably connected with the door at its opposite end, and power cylinders at either side of the lever fulcrum pivotally connected with said lever intermediate the ends. thereof.

3. A door operating device, comprising a swinging lever fulcrumed at one end and pivotally connected with the door at its op-- posite end and power cylinders fulcrumed at opposite sides of the lever fulcrum and pivotally connected with said lever by means of a rocker pivoted intermediate its ends on the lever and pivotally connected at its ends with the respective nower cylinders.

4. A door operating device, comprising a swinging lever arranged for connection with a door at one end, pressure operated power cylinders fulcrumed at opposite sides of the lever and pivotally connected with the same and means for independently adjusting the fulcrums of said power cylinders.

5. A door operating device, comprising a swinging lever arranged for connection with a door at one end, a rocker pivoted on the lever, pressure operated power cylinders, fulcrumed at opposite sides of the lever and connected with said rocker and means for independently adjusting the fulcrums of said cylinders.

6. A door operating device, comprising a bracket, a lever fulcrumed on said bracket and arranged for pivotal connection with the door at its opposite end, arms fulcrumed on said bracket at opposite sides of the lever fulcrum, means for adjusting said arms with respect to the supporting bracket and plungers fulcrumed on said arms and pivotally connected with the lever.

7. A door operating device, com risin a bracket, a lever fulcrumed on sai brac st and arranged for pivotal connection with the door at its opposite end, arms fulcrumed on said bracket at opposite sides of the lever fulcrum, means for adjusting said arms with respect to the supporting bracket and plungers fulcrumed on said arms and a rocker pivoted on the lever and connected with said plungers.

8. A door operating device, comprising a swinging lever and pressure operated power plungers for swinging the same in each direction and consisting each of a c linder, a double piston Working therein an, means mea re for trapping the actuating fluid beneath the piston substantially at the end of one stroke thereof.

9. A door operating device, comprising a swinging lever and pressure operated power plungers for swinging the same in each direction and consisting each of a cylinder, a piston working therein and means for trapping the actuating fiuid beneath the piston substantially at the end of one stroke thereof, said means including a check valve and an adjustable by-pass around said check valve.

10. A. door operating device, comprising a swinging lever and pressure operated power plungers for swinging the same in opposite directions, comprising each a cylinder,

spaced pistons working therein, an unrestricted passage into the cylinder and a second passage into the cylinder provided with a check valve and with a regulatable by-pass about said check valve.

11. In a door operating device, pressure operated plungers comprising each a cylinder, spaced pistons working therein, said cylinder having a passage opening into the space between the pistons when the same are in retracted position, a passage beneath the innermost piston provided with a check valve and a regulatable by-pass about said check valve.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of November, 1919.

' THOMAS BRADY. 

